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Little is known of the origin of the Beagle. Rabbit or hare coursing is said to ha^e been a sport as far back as Grecian times, and it is possible that some type of Beagle was created then. As the breed is known to-day, however, Beagles have been developed in England through crossing early type dogs with the old southern and other hounds. The breed stock in this country has been imported from England and differences in type between English and American Beagles are attributable to the varying factors of climate and management.

Any good hound color is acceptable for BeaglesÂblack, white, and tan, or any two of these colors, hare or badger pied, blue mottled, etc. Individuals are separated into two divisions by heights; (1) 13 inches and under and (2) over 13 inches and not exceeding 15 inches. No weight specifications are set by the standard.

The typical Beagle resembles the Foxhound in miniature, a dog solid and “big” for its size. The body is rather “cobby” with a short, muscular back; broad, deep chest; clean, muscular, sloping shoulders; medium-length neck; rugged, square-set legs; and strong, muscular hind quarters. The ears are of the pendant type and fairly large; the muzzle square-cut, straight, of medium length, and not snipy, with the general head character indicative of a happy but determined worker.

Out of all the different breeds of dogs, Pomeranians have a special place in my heart. They are fun-loving, energetic, sweet-natured dogs, but have a tendency to be only loyal, protective and responsive to their “owner”. They have great intelligence, tons of personality, and are often the center of attention. Pomeranians tend to be overly courageous, even to a fault, and don’t seem to recognize they are a small dog. In this article, it lists Pomeranian breed standards by the American Kennel Club, even though they are highly irrelevant to many of us that enjoy Pomeranians, simply for their fantastic personality and companionship.

General Appearance:

The Pomeranian is a high energy little dog, that looks very much like a fox. They have a soft, thick undercoat and a profuse, harsher textured out coat, with a thick plumed tail that curls up and around towards his back. Pomeranians tend to have high self confidence, and be intensely curious of surroundings. They are alert, intelligent, animated, demanding, oftentimes with a cocky attitude.

Size, Proportion, Substance:

For show Pomeranians, the breed standard for weight is 3 – 7 pounds. If your dog weighs less or more, you’ll probably never be accepted to a dog show. The Pomeranian is medium boned and the length of his legs is in proportion to his well-balanced overall frame.

Head:

The head must be in balance with the body. The muzzle of the Pomeranian is short, straight, fine and never snippy. His expression is alert. The skull is closed. The top of the skull is slightly rounded. The ears are small and mounted high. The ears are carried erect. The eyes are almond shaped, dark, bright and medium in size. The eyes are set well into the head. The Pomeranian has black pigmentation on the nose and around the eyes.

Major fault:

It’s considered a major fault, if your Pomeranian has an under or over bite. The teeth need to meet together in a scissors bite.

Neck, Topline, Body:

The Pomeranian has a short neck well set into the shoulders. The head is carried high. The topline is level and the back is short. The Pomeranian has a compact. Well-ribbed brisket which reaches the elbow. One of the characteristics of the breed is the plumed tail, which lies flat and straight on the back.

Forequarters:

The shoulders and legs are moderately muscular. The shoulder blade and the upper arm are equal in length. The forelegs are straight and parallel. The pasterns are straight and strong. The feet are arched, compact and straight. Dewclaws may be removed.

Major fault:

Down in pasternsHindquarters

The hindquarters are angled in such a way as to balance out the forequarters. The Pomeranian’s buttocks are well behind the tail. The thighs are moderately muscled with stifles that are moderately bent and well defined. The hocks are set perpendicularly to the ground. The legs are straight.

Major faults:

Cowhocks Lack of soundness in hind legs or stifles

Gait:

The Pomeranians gait is smooth and free. His gait is balanced and vigorous. He has a good reach with his forequarters and strong drive with the hindquarters.

Coat:

The Pomeranians coat is its glory. The undercoat is thick and fluffy; the top coat is long and straight.

Colors:

The American Kennel Club recognizes 13 colors and color combinations in Pomeranians.

Temperament:

Pomeranians are high energy and lovable. One thing I wanted to address, is the misconception that Pomeranians are “yippy” dogs. I’ve yet to meet one that’s like that, and suspect it probably has a lot to do with how you raise them.

If you get a Pomeranian, keep in mind that your dog will need regular grooming. Not as much as many other breeds, at least, they will rarely need a haircut. However, they do have a thick undercoat that will require brushing about three times a week with a metal wire brush. A few advantages of this breed — they are rated as the 23rd most intelligent dog breed out of 79. Reportedly, they are much easier to house train than most other breeds, which does seem to be the case in my experience. They are suitable for people living in apartments and those with limited space for a pet, and have a life expectancy of at least 15 to 16 years.

Adopting out dogs can be dangerous, if precautionary guidelines are not followed. How often do you invite complete strangers into your home? For many of us, the answer is never. Yet, when we are faced with finding a new home for a dog, this rule usually flies out the window. I was just reading in the news about a man that was assaulted in his own home, for the purpose of stealing a Yorkshire Terrier pup last month. He advertised the dog in the paper for sale, and was contacted by a man interested in looking at the dog. Two men and a woman came to his house, assaulted him with a knife, and took his dog.

The good news is that he is recovering, he has his dog back, and the police were actually able to capture and arrest the assailants. The bad news is, this is not the first time this kind of thing has happened, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. I read about something similar, a few months back. A woman advertised in the paper, “puppies for sale”. These people held a gun on the woman, not only did they take all the puppies, but the family dog as well. These types of people are obviously not animal lovers, they are stealing expensive breeds of dogs, to sell to the highest bidder.

All I’m saying is, allowing strangers into your home is probably never a good idea. Several months back, I was able to adopt out a stray dog, without ever advertising in the paper or allowing a stranger into my home. My method was through word of mouth. I talked to everyone in my extended family, my friends at work, and all my neighbors. It probably took a little longer to find a home that way, but my neighbor ended up helping me, and we found the most wonderful home for this dog through a mutual friend. An added benefit of not adopting the dog to a stranger, is that I have been able to check on him.

In addition, it is wise to be cautious when advertising a found dog. If the breed is expensive, someone may answer your ad that is not the owner. Even worse, they may answer your ad in order to get in your house under false pretenses. To prevent this from happening, find a unique marking or characteristic on the found dog, that you do not advertise on your found dog ad. Then when someone calls to inquire about the stray dog, you can use this information to determine if they are actually the owner. People that help animals are angels, and are needed desperately, just please be careful out there!

O.K., So I’m just surfing the Internet in a semi-comatose state that I often do when I’m really really bored. I was reading about why certain dogs seem to have certain traits. Like why does a sheep dog seem to have a natural tendency to herd, a pointer point, and why do retrievers always want to go retrieve?

Mars Veterinary is a dog genetic and DNA bank which has made some remarkable studies in dog DNA. They have done an immense amount of research, and believe these traits are genetic. Dogs all originated from the wolf, yet have branched out into over 130 distinctly different dog breeds. From this research, comes a most interesting product called the Wisdom PanelÂ MX Mixed Breed Analysis. This is a simple blood test that can tell you exactly what breed of dog you are, and in what combination.

I am a 13 lb. pomeranian and I look at some of my 6-8 lb. peers, and always wonder if I am a purebred, now I can find out. Not that it is of earth shaking importance in my situation, it is just amazing to me what science can do. Mars Veterinary is actually selling the Wisdom PanelÂ MX Mixed Breed Analysis kit on Amazon for $124.00. You are supposed to purchase the kit from Mars Veterinary, take it to your veterinarian for a blood draw, then your veterinarian will send the blood sample to Mars Veterinary. You will receive a detailed results report in 3-4 weeks that will prove exactly what breed of dog you are, or what combination. Cool, huh?